On this month’s episode, we chat with Matt Smith about wilderness medicine. As we shift from a high resource to a low resource setting, there are 3 main concepts to consider:
– Ideal to real
– High risk to low risk
– Stable to unstable

These concepts are important as we shift our practice and prepare ourselves. For this patient context, we need to focus on the things we can’t replace, and learn to manage that.

Our approach to these patients need to be algorithmic, and focus on doing the basics well. Two mnemonics (H-E-M-P; A-B-C-D-E) are presented to help with our approach.

Lastly, hypothermia assessment and management is discussed.

Matthew Smith

Matthew is a critical care flight paramedic working for British Columbia Emergency Health Services. He works for the Whistler Bike Park patrol in summer, with Blackcomb Ski Patrol in winter. He has been a paramedic for 20 years, and has worked as a land ACP, Tactical medic, and member of the Paramedic Bike Unit.

He has worked as lead educator for the Advanced Care Paramedic program at The Justice Institute of British Columbia, and is currently a Paramedic Practice Educator for BCEHS. He is currently the director of www.canadianoutdoormed.com, a wilderness first aid training and risk management agency.

Matt has lived and worked across Canada and the US, from the Yukon to BC to Wyoming, and has experience as a raft guide, ski patroller, ski instructor, a PMBI level 1 mountain bike instructor, and is working as a tail guide for mechanized and self propelled ski operations. He holds a diploma in Adult Education from St FX, and a diploma in Outdoor Education from Columbia College. He lives in the Coast mountains in Squamish with his family and a rescue puppy.